A local candidate is standing behind his heated exchange with a customer in late May.

Kyle's Gunshop owner Kyle Hufford, who is running for Springfield Township trustee in November, entered an email dispute with customer Kayla Irby over Memorial Day weekend. Irby had ordered a gun online, and her application was denied. Hufford was inside the shop the day she came for a refund, but Kyle's was closed for business. That's when tempers flared.

What followed was an email exchange that culminated in a complaint by Irby, which included the string of emails, to the Springfield Township Police Department. The issue ultimately ended with a refund, minus a restocking fee, but not before comments were also posted on Hufford's Facebook page.

Hufford explained in his initial email reply to Irby that his shop had been closed the day she tried to get a refund, and that he would not issue her a refund because of her enraged response to him. The two traded barbs, with Hufford banning her from the store and Irby threatening to press charges of theft for refusing to issue the refund.

The exchange totaled more than 20 emails over a day and included one in which Irby referenced Hufford's wife:

"Dummy since u seem uneducated I already called my bank Saturday we was just waiting on u to cancel stupid c*** and enjoy your day uneducated b**** I hope your wife have a fall and break her neck lol b****."

Hufford responded to Irby, who is black, a few hours later: "You’re a ghetto a** piece of s***, don’t want you as a customer."

Hufford was asked if, in hindsight, he would have responded differently to the customer.

"I gave her what she deserves," he said. "I own a gun shop and a lot of idiots come in here and I don't put up with it."

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Hufford was also asked if he were to be elected as a Springfield Township trustee and a resident became irate, would he respond similarly.

"If somebody's in my face calling me names, maybe."

Hufford added to his comment a short time later.

"Things got a little out of hand, um, you know, it's certainly not how I'm going to handle an everyday situation," he said. "But you know, people deserve to get treated the way that they are acting and if somebody's going to be up in my face, calling me names, saying a bunch of stuff like that, um, you know, I'm gonna give it right back to 'em.

"I'm not gonna take it."

As of July 25, the Hamilton County Board of Election's list of Springfield Township trustee candidates includes Hufford and incumbent Mark Berning. Two seats are open in the November election, and candidates have until Aug. 24 to register. The other incumbent whose seat is up for election is Joseph Honerlaw.